This invention relates to a spinning machine comprising several spinning stations, depositing sites for cans containing sliver and transport devices which contain transport belts for the transporting of the slivers from the cans to the spinning stations.
In the case of a known spinning machine of the initially mentioned type (British Patent Document GB 10 15 780), two transport belts are provided which extend in parallel to one another and in each case receive a sliver between one another and transport the sliver from the cans to the drafting units of the spinning machine.
It is also known (British Patent Document GB 11 83 208) to deposit the cans above the spinning machine on another floor and to transport the slivers through tubes downward to the spinning stations, in which case the slivers are to move downward in the tubes because of their own weight. In this construction, it is provided to guide the tubes, which in this area are provided with a perforation or the like, through an air-conditioning duct which contains air with an air humidity that is maintained at a given value. As a result, the slivers are to be brought into a condition that is advantageous for spinning, particularly with respect to their humidity content.
In the case of an open-end spinning machine (German Patent Document DE-A 39 19 284), it is known to deposit the cans containing the sliver to be spun on an air-conditioning duct which supplies air-conditioned air into the cans. As an alternative, an air-conditioning duct by which air-conditioned air is supplied into the cans may be arranged in the interior of the machine.
In the case of double twist frames (German Patent Document DE-B 25 44 643), it is known to provide an air-conditioning duct extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine from which air-conditioned air is blown through blow nozzles on each spindle into the upper area of a yarn balloon. The air-conditioned air also sweeps over the feeding packages.
It is an object of the invention to provide a spinning machine of the initially mentioned type which is able to directly process fine slivers, particularly in the size range of Nm 0.3 to Nm 0.8 and still maintain favorable spinning conditions.
This object is achieved according to preferred embodiments of the invention in that devices are provided for admitting air-conditioned air to the slivers on their path between the cans and the spinning stations.
By means of the transport belts, such fine slivers can easily be transported without the danger that the slivers may be drafted unintentionally during the transport. The air-conditioning of the slivers on the path from the cans to the spinning stations has the advantage that good working conditions are created particularly with respect to the humidity content of the slivers. In this case, it is not required that the whole area of the spinning machine be air-conditioned which, as a rule, would lead to very high expenditures and a very high consumption of energy.
In the case of a first embodiment of the invention, at least one air-conditioning duct is provided which extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine and through which the slivers pass either alone or together with pertaining transport belts. Since, on the one hand, the transport speed of the slivers is relatively low, that is, in the order of from 0.06 to 0.16 m/min (meters/minute), a relatively short path is sufficient in order to achieve a sufficient air-conditioning of the slivers. Since, with the exception of the inlet openings for the slivers, the air-conditioning duct can be sealed off by means of the transport belts, the energy consumption is relatively low.
In the case of another development of the invention, an air-conditioning duct is provided which extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine and is provided with air outlet openings aimed at the slivers situated on the transport belts. The air-conditioned air flowing out of the air-conditioning unit will then flow against the slivers.
In a further development of the invention, a suction duct, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine is expediently provided for the intake of the air delivered by the air-conditioning duct. As a result, the energy consumption can be reduced because the taken-in air can repreprocessed and again fed to the air-conditioning duct. The energy consumption will then be lower than when the air-conditioning duct must process room air.
In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the transport belts are arranged at least partially inside air ducts which are open in the direction of the depositing sites of the cans and the spinning stations and to which the air outlet openings of the air-conditioning duct or ducts are connected. As a result, the air flowing out of the air-conditioning duct or ducts can be guided in the solely required area, whereby a concentrated take-in then also becomes possible.
In order to, on the one hand, securely guide and transport the fine slivers at expenditures that are as low as possible and in order to, on the other hand, permit an access of the air-conditioned air to them, sliding guides are provided in another development of the invention for the holding of the slivers on the transport belts, in which case the sliding guides and/or the transport belts are constructed to be at least partly air-permeable by means of perforations or the like.
In a particularly simple embodiment of the invention, sliding guides are assigned to the transport belts which are provided at least at one point with a chamber-type widening which can be supplied with air-conditioned air. Thus, the sliding guides are provided with the additional function of a climatic chamber.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.